Aktualności

2014-08-13
10:00:00

Publications about the Legia vs Celtic case for international media

Autor: Legia Warszawa

Due to the decision made by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body which declared the second game between Legia and Celtic forfeit Legia Warsaw has been thrown out of the Champions League play-off stage.

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Legia Warsaw have had their move to be reinstated in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League at the expense of Celtic rejected.The Polish champions had taken their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport just after becoming expelled from the competition...

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Legia Warsaw's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against expulsion from the Champions League has been rejected, and Celtic will keep its place in the league’s playoff round, the court announced Monday.

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Celtic face an anxious wait to discover if their Champions League play-off clash with Maribor will go ahead next week after it emerged the Court for Arbitration for Sport will now hear Legia Warsaw’s case on Monday.

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Polish champions Legia Warsaw have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the forfeit which led to them being eliminated from the Champions League despite beating Celtic 6-1 on aggregate.

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More confusion surrounds Legia Warsaw's bid to win their Champions League place back from Celtic after their chairman claimed UEFA had denied them the chance of a swift hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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“It’s a grand old team to play for,” begins the famous theme song which has been heard at Celtic Park for more than 50 years; after the events of the past 10 days, few could argue otherwise. Where else could players lose home and away, going down 6-1 on aggregate, and still pick up a win bonus? It’s a grand old team bedad.

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Legia Warsaw will turn to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a latest bid to keep their UEFA Champions League campaign alive.

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August 15th

Legia Warsaw's press release on the appeal to CAS

Legia Warsaw informs that today the appeal against the decision of UEFA Appeals Body (13/08/2014) has been issued to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as well as the request for provisional measure: temporary reinstation of Legia to the UEFA Champions League play-off round.

Standing against UEFA has never been our aim, we wanted to oppose against the regulations which are obviously against the fair-play and the spirit of sport - claims Dariusz Mioduski, the Chariman of Legia Warsaw. - Therefore we are surprised and disappointed with UEFA decision not to support our application for fast-track procedure at CAS, despite we have been promised so.

Fast-track procedure at CAS could let issue a final verdict next Monday, before the first matches of UCL and UEFA Europa League play-off matches. Now the final decision of CAS is expected within the regular period of three months. Under these surprising circumstances of UEFA decision's change, the Club has applied to the CAS for the provisional measure mentioned above.

We have asked CAS to suspend the 0:3 forfeit until the final decision, accept on-the-pitch result and reinstate our Club to the UCL play-off round - explains Mioduski. - We are aware that making such a heavy decision requires not only a strong conviction about Legia's legitimacy and chanse for final success, but courage as well. We believe that CAS will investigate the case mainly on the level of rationality and proportionality of the decisions of UEFA disciplinary body and the spirit of the game. We still hope that finally football and fair-play will win.

CAS should decide on Monday. Regrardless this verdict, the coach and players are focused on their duties. The team is mentally very strong - our today's victory over Jagiellonia proved that. We are currently preparing for the match against Aktobe - says Bogusław Leśnodorski, President of Legia's Board.

The Club informs that the decision of CAS made on Monday will be announced by another release, as well as Legia's next steps.

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Legia hoped that UEFA would show leniency and put “football first” prior to their hearing with representatives of the governing body, which took place Wednesday. However, it has officially been confirmed that UEFA have turned down the appeal.

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MORE confusion surrounds Legia Warsaw’s bid to win their Champions League place back from Celtic after their chairman claimed UEFA had denied them the chance of a swift hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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Polish champions Legia Warsaw have lost an appeal to UEFA against their elimination from the Champions League after they fielded a suspended player against Celtic, the club`s co-owner Dariusz Mioduski said on Thursday.

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August 14th

Legia's statement on the UEFA's decision

Legia Warsaw informs, that the UEFA Appeals Body, second instance disciplinary body, has rejected Club's appeal for the 0:3 forfeit second leg match of third round of Champions League qualifications.

Till the last moment we hoped that the spirit of sport wins, we find the decision extremely unfair - says Dariusz Mioduski, Legia's Chairman - However we expected that decision and were prepared for it. We are to appeal to the CAS promptly. We will use the full appeal procedure, in order to get back our result that was fairly gained on the pitch. We will certainly fully subordinate to the final verdict. But I still hope that football will win, as well as the values it is based on: fair-play and respect to the on-the-pitch result.

- We hope that CAS will judge our case as soon as possible - says Bogusław Leśnodorski, President of Legia's Board - We don't give up and keep fighting. Our lawyers are now working hard on the case, while the team prepares for the forthcoming matches. We aim high as always.

The Club will keep everyone updated about the following steps. No further comments on the decision of UEFA Appeals Body will be released at this moment.

Legia's press release on the UEFA Appeals Body hearing from 13th August

The meeting of the UEFA Appeal Body was held in the morning, with Legia Warszawa co-owner Dariusz Mioduski and his associates present. The atmosphere during the meeting was fully professional and the Club’s representatives were granted the possibility to thoroughly present their stand on the issue. The decision of the UEFA Appeal Body is to be announced in the evening or tomorrow morning.

Legia Warszawa would like to thank the UEFA disciplinary bodies for the prompt organisation of the appeal procedure. At the same time, we would like to inform you that until the official decision of the UEFA Appeal Body is announced the Club will not issue any further communication.

August 12th

An open letter from Legia Warszawa

Dear Friends,

Football is our common passion. We are deeply convinced this beautiful game should be based on universal values – shared by everyone who enters the pitch to compete for victory. Those values, widely accept by the entire European football family, are: football first, fair play and respect.

Over previous days we have been closely following the decisions of European football authorities. We believe the most crucial element of the game is the result settled in honest and fair competition on the pitch, as highlighted in the UEFA values: “Football First”! We are responsible for the fate of the game and we should all feel obliged to protect the beautiful football heritage based on these superior values for the generations to come.

We all hope that all decisions made over next days and forever after will respect the spirit of the game that begins and ends on the pitch. Join us if you support football united around the idea of fair play, respect and sports competition.

Legia's statement on the possibility of appeal

We understand that acting under the pressure of time and circumstances, the Chairman of the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body literally applied Art. 21.02 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations. Meanwhile, we wish to express our faith that the UEFA Appeal Body will explore the following possibilities:

1)On the basis of Art. 17.01 and Art. 17.02 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations the disciplinary body determines the type and extent of the disciplinary measure in accordance with the objective and subjective aspects of the offence; in cases where all aspects of the offence have been revealed by the party charged and after taking into account both aggravating and mitigating circumstances, it may scale down the disciplinary measure or even nullify it altogether.

2)On the basis of Art. 20.01 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations the ruled disciplinary measure (match forfeited 0:3 in favour for Celtic FC) may be suspended.

Meanwhile, we wish to inform that the abovementioned argumentation will be used by the Club at every stage of the appeal process.

August 10th

Dariusz Mioduski's letter to Celtic F.C.

Dear Sirs,

Celtic FC is one of the European football legends, a Club with a remarkable heritage, that has contributed to the history of the world's most beautiful game. This legend is based not only on the great on-the-field successes, but also on determination and attachment to values such as honesty and honour. The successive generations of wonderful, devoted fans of "The Bhoys" glorify their Club all around the world. Thanks to that, for many reasons Celtic FC has been our role model.

Legia Warsaw is also a Club with strong character and a brave heart. Our history is not as long or successful, however we can proudly look both back and ahead. Almost 100 years of our difficult history, inseparably bound with the tough fate of Poland and the city of Warsaw, prove one certain thing - we never give up and value honour the most.

Double victory over Celtic FC in the third qualification round of the UEFA Champions League, firmly but fairly gained on the pitch, was a big success for us. It led us closer to the big dream of the entire generation of our fans: to reach the group stage of the UCL for the first time in 19 years. We found it deeply unfair and contradictory to the fair-play rules to see our dreams shattered by the last 4 minutes of the already decided second leg match, when Bartosz Bereszynski was brought on the pitch. Our player had served the full sentence and intentionally missed first three matches in the UCL qualifications this season.

Celtic FC went down in the history with one of the most beautiful stories of European football in 1967, after beating mighty Inter Milan managed by Helenio Herrera in the European Cup final. Could you imagine Jock Stein and Billy McNeill deprived of the chance to achieve the biggest triumph in their career by an application form, filled improperly by the Club employee acting in good faith? Would any true legend of Celtic FC accept the qualification won despite the double defeat suffered on the pitch? I am strongly convinced, that their legendary Celtic pride would not allow them to do that. How could they then look in the eyes of their humiliated fans?

I therefore call on you to refer to your best traditions of honour and honesty, that your famous Club has been known for during last 126 years. Do not destroy the beautiful legacy, that you inherited from the past generations of "The Bhoys". I call you to act according to the spirit of the game and the rules of fair play - to issue a joint statement to the UEFA disciplinary bodies. Let's meet in Warsaw or Glasgow and settle this matter honourably.

Willie Maley, the legendary manager of Celtic FC, once said, that in your stadium "a man is judged by his football alone". Only you can decide whether this noble credo will be replaced by an opportunistic use of legal loopholes.

Many Celtic FC fans bear the "Keep the Faith!" motto on their flags, jerseys, tattoos and in their hearts. I will be thinking about it while awaiting your answer.

Sincerely yours,

Dariusz Mioduski, Chairman

Bogusław Leśnodorski's letter to UEFA

Dear Sirs,

With reference to a decision taken on 8th August, 2014, by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body resulting in the exclusion of our Club from the play-off round of the Champions League competition, taken despite the fact that we secured our qualification on the football pitch, we expect to receive immediate written justification of the decision.

In order to seek justice and adherence to the Fair Play principle, we are forced to resort to the appeal procedures. One of the requirements of the appeal is that we are obliged to obtain written justification of the decision given by The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body. Although regulations do not specify precise deadlines within which the Body is obligated to provide such justification, we strongly believe it will be handed over to us immediately, allowing us to pursue the path of appeal before the commencement of the Champions League play-off round.

When our Club was duly informed, on 7th August 2014, about a disciplinary action initiated against us, without any delay we responded with a declaration of readiness to actively participate in the proceedings, as one of the parties involved, and prepared comprehensive explanations, which were passed over to the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body. The entire documentation, attachments and translations of the necessary documents have been submitted to UEFA within 16 hours since the receipt of the information concerning initiation of the disciplinary action. On the day when the verdict was announced, that is on 8th August, 2014, the Club's President, accompanied by other representatives of the Club, was present in the UEFA Nyon offices, prepared to provide further explanatory statements and present the Club's official position in the matter in question. Unfortunately, despite prior assurances from the UEFA representatives regarding our presence in the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body proceedings, we were denied such right. In our opinion, the unprecedented character of the case called for our presence, according to Art. 51 point 2 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations. After the proceedings have been concluded, the Chairman of the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, who was fully aware of our presence in the UEFA offices, did not even pass the decision to us directly. We were appalled by this behavior and felt both discriminated and disregarded in this extraordinary situation.

We would like to believe that values laid out in the UEFA "Eleven Values", especially the Fair Play principle, in which the European football family believe (and so do we, as we consider ourselvesas a part of that community), shall always be respected. We are deeply convinced that the final result of the match, achieved in a fair way on the pitch, should prevail. Our belief has been strongly reinforced these days by the reaction of the European football community who, in their entirety, are outraged by this attempt to negate an unquestionable victory on the pitch by means of a verdict that stands in clear juxtaposition with the spirit of Fair Playcompetition.

We are fully aware that the situation we all face is both unprecedented and extraordinary. We understand that the disciplinary UEFA body worked under the pressure of time and circumstances. Yet, we are deeply convinced that an immediate and thorough investigation by The UEFA Appeals Body will result in a verdict that adheres to the principle of proportionality and, consequently, will strengthen millions of football fans in their belief that our beautiful game is fair and free of any suspicion.

Hoping that football, Fair Play, and true sportsmanship shall prevail in the end,

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When Michel Platini campaigned for the highest office of European soccer seven years ago, he vowed to make players more important to the sport than administrators.

In many ways, Platini delivered on that promise. But unless UEFA now reverses a decision made a few days ago, the notion of fair play on the field is discredited even before the new Champions League season fully begins.

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I am surely not alone in thinking both a) that it was the correct decision for UEFA to make, but b) that, in this particular case, the punishment seems disproportionate given the circumstances of the tie. I had therefore come around to the view that Celtic ought to contact UEFA to politely decline the second chance they had been handed, while harbouring few illusions about the prospects of this actually happening.

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Mioduski has a way with words and a passion for rhetoric, but he also has a point: if Uefa are bound by their rulebook, perhaps Celtic should do the honourable thing and let the better team go through. Celtic were given a chance to go against their own interests and enhance their reputation, but instead they passed the buck back to Uefa, saying they were “disappointed by Legia Warsaw’s comments” and that the matter is “entirely a matter for Uefa and its processes”.

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Season after season I’d watched different Polish champions be defeated by stronger opposition, and I expected it to happen again. To my surprise, Legia defeated Celtic 4-1 in the first leg. In the second leg I thought it would be more difficult. I was even fearful that 4-1 might not be enough. I could see Celtic managing a 3-0 win [the irony], yet Legia won again, 2-0, and there was no doubt who the better side was over the two games.

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Legia Warsaw have appealed to Celtic to let the two sides decide Champions League progression after the Polish side’s bureaucratic error of fielding an ineligible during a match between the two sides led to their ouster from the competition.

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Polish sources said Legia were happy to have a meeting with Celtic officials in Glasgow or Warsaw to discuss the matter but were not suggesting a one-off match. The club have accused Celtic of ignoring their telephone calls and emails.

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Celtic were awarded a 3-0 win, meaning they went through on away goals after a 4-4 draw and were drawn against Slovenian side Maribor in the Champions League play-off, with the Warsaw club dropping into the Europa League.

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Celtic were beaten 6-1 on aggregate in the third qualifying round but, because the Polish champions fielded the ineligible Bartosz Bereszynski as a substitute in the second leg, Ronny Deila’s side were handed a 3-0 walkover win and therefore progressed on away goals.

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Celtic were gifted a place in the play-off round of Europe's top tier competition despite losing 6-1 on aggregate to Legia in the third qualifying round - courtesy of an admin mistake with the victors bringing on an ineligible player.

Legia were stripped of their Champions League status and Polish FA chairman Zbigniew Boniek claims Celtic were unreachable as the saga unravelled, with calls and emails that could have seen their opponents put through ignored.

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POLISH football great Zbigniew Boniek has revealed how the club attempted to contact Celtic in an attempt to persuade them to accept a reduced punishment from UEFA after Legia fielded an ineligible player.

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Polish fans` reactions range from criticism of the club`s incompetence to an attack on UEFA`s strictness, accusing the organisation of discrimination. In a similar case four years ago, Hungarian club Debrecen were simply fined 15,000 euros.

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DARIUSZ DZIEKANOWSKI has launched a blistering assault on his former club Celtic by branding them "the laughing stock of world football" and insisting they will only go on to shame themselves on the field again should they be given the green light to remain in the Champions League.